Does Epilepsy Medicines Cause Dementia In Old Age By Continued Use Age? | MyEpilepsyTeam

Connect with others who understand.

sign up Log in
Resources
About MyEpilepsyTeam
Powered By
Real members of MyEpilepsyTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.
Does Epilepsy Medicines Cause Dementia In Old Age By Continued Use Age?
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭

Currently I am on Levetiracetam 1500 mg twice a day, Carbamazepine 250 mg twice a day and lemitrigone 75 mg twice a day. Out of these medicines which one is most dangerous for memory, as I am losing memory quite visibly and my worry is not get dementia like situation in old age, any thoughts, please share.
Thanks:

posted September 26, 2023
•
Be the first to like/hug
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Hi Anwar,
Fighting the onset of dementia amongst us using AEDs has no universally agreed upon strategy by the medical community. But, in addition to drugs, I feel cardiovascular exercise (walking, biking) can offer some help too. These activities have an impact both on our physiological & psychological brain activities. And even doing crossword puzzles is considered a good exercise for all people, epileptic or not, to avoid brain dementia.

posted September 27, 2023
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Short answer no... but long answer uncertain. At the moment there's no real evidence that it does. There's still alot that is unknown.

posted September 26, 2023
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

No

posted September 28, 2023
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

@LawenceLucas I found with Carbamazepine the stronger the dosage the worse the memory loss got. It's hard to say what my memory loss is like atm because I have been completely off Carbamazepine for almost 3 months.

posted September 27, 2023
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member Remember that for dementia to happen you basically have to have known consistent shrinkage of the brain. There is an increased risk with Carbamazepine in old age but whether it is due to this exactly I'm not sure. However, I do know that you are at a higher risk of dizziness and unsteadiness which basically increases the risk of falls. In saying this though a lot of AED meds pose this risk to the elderly.

posted September 27, 2023

Related content

View All
Does Anyone Elses VNS Hurt When You Run The Magnet Across It?
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Diagnose With Epilepsy Out Of No Where.
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Do Any Of You Have Events From Your More Distant Past Completely Missing From Your Memory? .
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Continue with Facebook
Continue with Google
Lock Icon Your privacy is our priority. By continuing, you accept our Terms of use, and our Health Data and Privacy policies.
Already a Member? Log in